Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential News Briefing - October 9, 2015
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Ballotpedia's Daily Presidential Briefing was sponsored by the Leadership Project for America. | ||||
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Friday's Leading Stories
- The New Yorker reported on Thursday that representatives from Joe Biden’s office met with Democratic National Committee staffers to discuss the “arcane but crucial rules” that govern “the primary calendar, filing deadlines, the mechanics of ballot-access issues, and the complicated details of the party’s state-by-state selection process for delegates and super delegates.” The New Yorker noted, “The session included a level of detail that would only be of interest to a candidate who is serious about running.” (The New Yorker)
- A new website – rubioamnestyplan.com – was launched this week to attack Marco Rubio for his involvement in the Gang of Eight’s immigration proposal. Some media outlets have suggested Donald Trump’s campaign was involved in the domain’s development, which could be a violation of Federal Election Commission disclosure rules since the site does not provide a disclaimer. (BuzzFeed, The Washington Free Beacon, Mediaite)
- U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), the chairman of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, wrote a 13-page letter to U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the ranking Democratic member of the committee, accusing him of leaking information to the press to create a “false narrative” beneficial to Hillary Clinton. Gowdy also noted the committee intended to release 1,500 of Clinton’s emails relating to Benghazi in the coming week. A substantial number of these emails is correspondence between Clinton and her informal political adviser, Sidney Blumenthal, who Gowdy said was motivated by money in providing advice to Clinton on Libya. Cummings called the letter a “desperate attempt to save face” after U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) “admitted on national television that the Select Committee is a taxpayer-funded political campaign to attack Secretary Clinton's bid for president." (House Select Committee on Benghazi. Washington Examiner)
Democrats
- In an interview with The Huffington Post on Thursday, Anderson Cooper, who will moderate the Democratic presidential debate next Tuesday, said he intended to involve the other moderators more than previous debates this year had. He said that “bouncing back and forth between questioners gives some energy and some different perspectives.” CNN anchor Don Lemon, CNN correspondent Dana Bash and CNN en Español anchor Juan Carlos Lopez will join Cooper. (The Huffington Post)
Joe Biden
- The Draft Biden super PAC has pulled an ad it created highlighting Joe Biden’s biography and the death of his first wife and daughter at the start of his career, after Biden said he did not want the ad to air. “Nobody has more respect for the vice president and his family than we do. Obviously, we will honor his wishes,” a senior adviser from Draft Biden said. (Wall Street Journal)
Lincoln Chafee
- On Thursday, Lincoln Chafee characterized Hillary Clinton’s newly announced opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership as “a flip-flop.” He added, "I guess I'm the only Democratic candidate for president standing strong with President Obama on this issue.” (The Hill)
Hillary Clinton
- On Thursday, Hillary Clinton wrote an op-ed for Bloomberg detailing her proposals for Wall Street reform. Her plan includes protecting the Dodd-Frank Act, eliminating the carried interest tax loophole, imposing a “risk fee” on banks with more than $50 billion in assets and enacting a “high-frequency trading” tax. (Bloomberg, Business Insider)
- In a town hall on Wednesday, Clinton compared the National Rifle Association (NRA) to Iranians and communists. “The NRA tries to keep gun owners — the ones who are members — really upset all the time so they can keep collecting their money, because they tell them they’re the only thing that’s going to stop the black helicopters from landing in the front yard and people’s guns being seized. That’s the argument they make. And it works with some people and it has turned a lot of people into absolutists themselves,” she said. (The Hill)
- Clinton is scheduled to meet with activists from the Black Lives Matter movement on Friday. (NBC News)
Martin O’Malley
- Martin O’Malley is unveiling his trade platform on Friday. According to the white paper posted on his campaign website, O’Malley plans to reject “secret trade agreements,” “prohibit currency manipulation,” oppose investor-state dispute settlements in trade agreements, “lift labor standards” globally and “improve environmental protection.” (CBS News, Martin O'Malley for President)
Bernie Sanders
- In an interview on Thursday, Bernie Sanders said his campaign finance reform platform should be attractive to many Republicans. “Working-class Republicans are equally disgusted about a campaign finance system which allows billionaires now to buy elections. So I think the message that we are bringing forth, that we have got to come together to say that Wall Street and corporate America cannot continue to dominate our political and economic life, that we need an economy that works for working families and not just the 1 percent — a lot of Republicans will respond to that as well.” (Yahoo)
- Sanders said on Thursday that the priority in Syria should be to eliminate ISIS and remove Assad from power through collaboration with Russia, Saudi Arabia and Iran. He also complimented President Obama for “doing a good job trying to sort through this and trying to make sure that we do not continue to have funerals back home for young American kids killed in combat." (Newsmax)
Republicans
- Bob Vander Plaats, an Iowa Christian conservative leader, has joined the effort to convince Republican leadership to rely solely on polls of Iowa and New Hampshire voters rather than national polls to determine who will participate in the Republican presidential debate. “Early states are best predictors of success and viability. If you win two of the first three, historically, you're the nominee," Plaats said. (The Des Moines Register)
Jeb Bush
- On Thursday, Jeb Bush said he opposed reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act “to continue to provide regulation on top of states as though we're living in 1960 – because those were basically when many of those rules were put in place.” He added, “There's been dramatic improvement in access to voting – exponentially better improvement. I don't think there's a role for the federal government to play in most places – there could be some – in most places where they did have a constructive role in the '60s, so I don't support reauthorizing it as is." (CNN)
- Dismissing suggestions his campaign is on the decline, Bush said, “[W]hat happens in October is completely irrelevant.” He also said he did not need his brother, former President George W. Bush, to come into the fold and rally support for him. “He doesn’t need to rescue me. I am on the path. I am totally confident where we are. I will continue to ask his advice and counsel, but I got to go win this. This is my job,” Bush said. (CBS DC)
- Bush criticized Marco Rubio for not supporting airstrikes against Syria in 2013 during an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt on Thursday. "I agree with Sen. Rubio that the president has not been forthcoming with a strategy, but when he had a chance to show support for the creation of one, he didn’t do it, and I just think that turned out to be a bad decision," Bush said. (Huffington Post)
Ben Carson
- In response to growing criticism of his comments following a mass shooting at an Oregon community college last week, Ben Carson recounted on Wednesday his experience of being held at gunpoint at a restaurant in Baltimore. He said, “Guy comes in, put the gun in my ribs, and I just said, 'I believe that you want the guy behind the counter. I redirected him. … The resolution was, [the gunman] said, 'Oh, sorry,' and then he went to the appropriate person behind the register who gave him the money, and he left the store running before the police got there.” (Baltimore Sun)
- Carson suggested on Thursday that the Holocaust may not have happened if European citizens had been armed. “I think the likelihood of Hitler being able to accomplish his goals would have been greatly diminished if the people had been armed. I’m telling you there is a reason these dictatorial people take guns first,” he said. (ABC News)
Chris Christie
- Chris Christie criticized both Ben Carson and Marco Rubio during an interview on CNN’s “The Lead” on Thursday. He said Carson’s plan to reduce the size of agencies and spending programs by at least 3 percent “doesn’t work and it winds up hurting programs we don’t want to hurt.” Christie said he would use “a scalpel, not a meat-ax to cut out the fat of government.” He also accused Rubio of having a “defeatist attitude” about Washington and said his competitor “misunderstands the positive role that a Republican Congress could make in framing the issues for the American people.” (CNN)
- Christie condemned President Obama’s decision “to politicize” the Oregon community college shooting last week. "I would not have gone out into the White House press room and railed about how this should be politicized. Because I'll tell you what I would be thinking about. What I would be thinking about are the parents, the spouses, the children, the relatives of those nine people. And I would be thinking, if they were sitting by the television set that moment, what they would want to hear from their president was, 'We're thinking of you,’” said Christie. (CNN)
- On Thursday, Christie said he had no interest in who would become the next speaker of the House. “It’s so dysfunctional and so ugly down there that it didn’t matter to me who the speaker was. Congressman McCarthy is out and a new cast of characters is in,” Christie said while campaigning in New Hampshire. The Wall Street Journal)
Ted Cruz
- In a radio interview on Thursday, Ted Cruz said he doubted Donald Trump would be the Republican nominee and suggested “in time, the lion's share of his supporters end up with us.” He added, “I think his involvement has been tremendously helpful to my campaign because it has framed the central question of the primary as: Who will stand up to Washington?” (CNN, The Washington Times)
- Cruz’s campaign raised $12.2 million in the third quarter, more than double that of Marco Rubio’s haul over the same period. (The Wall Street Journal)
Carly Fiorina
- The New York Times published a profile of Jerrold Perenchio, the media mogul and billionaire who has already donated more than $1.5 million to a super PAC supporting Carly Fiorina. “He is a very generous guy who’s in a position to help her capitalize on what she started with her strong performance in the debates,” Republican strategist Karl Rove said. Perenchio has also donated $100,000 to support Jeb Bush’s campaign. (The New York Times)
- U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) endorsed Fiorina on Thursday. (Omaha World-Herald)
Jim Gilmore
- Appearing at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s conference on Wednesday, Jim Gilmore contrasted his immigration platform with Donald Trump’s. “I disapprove of Trump’s policy and I stand for the Constitution. I believe the Constitution says that if you’re born in this country, you’re an American citizen,” Gilmore said of birthright citizenship. Speaking of undocumented immigrants, he added, “The Gilmore policy is that they are not going to be shipped out and deported. We have to recognize that America’s heritage of offering hope, freedom and security to people from throughout the world is a key element of our national pride and the foundation of our economic success.” (Fox News Latino)
Mike Huckabee
- In an interview on “The Laura Ingraham Show” on Thursday, Mike Huckabee said he has lost support from some campaign donors because of his opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership. “I’ve had people specifically say, ‘I’m not going to support you because I want someone who will go out there and support these trade deals. So I not only get that, but I also get millions of dollars spent against me by super PACs funded by these same donor class, investor class folks,” Huckabee said. (LifeZette)
- Huckabee said on Thursday he would consider U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) for attorney general if he were president. “I appreciate the fact that he is strong for fundamental adherence to the Constitution. I think this is the single greatest issue the next president faces. When he takes the oath office, will he in fact enforce and uphold the Constitution—all of it? Will he resist the notion to surrender the entire executive branch over to the judiciary? Because we have got to stop the judicial tyranny that has threatened our basic form of government and our way of life,” said Huckabee. (Yellowhammer News)
John Kasich
- John Kasich has drawn criticism for his “condescending” interactions with female college students at a town hall at the University of Richmond on Monday. He told a female student sitting in the front row, “I’m sure you get invited to all of the parties.“ When an enthusiastic sophomore attempted to ask a question, he said, “I’m sorry, I don’t have any Taylor Swift tickets.” That student, Kayla Solsbak, wrote of the experience, “While the lectures were condescending, the real issue was that Kasich chose not to listen to students in his forum. Most of the questions came from older members of the community, many vocalizing their support of Kasich before throwing him a softball question. Kasich barreled through a Planned Parenthood question, dismissing the young woman who posed it, and derided me when I had the audacity to raise my hand.” (Salon)
- In a memo to donors, strategists from the New Day for America super PAC have said they will shift how they present Kasich to voters in “Phase II” of their operation. “Messaging will share John Kasich's reputation as someone who has always shaken up the system to fix big problems. … Unlike the other candidates in the field, whom Gov. Kasich has called 'speechmakers,' Kasich has challenged business as usual in Washington and Ohio politics and actually has something to show for it,” the executive director for New Day for America, Matt Carle, wrote. (Cincinnati Enquirer)
Rand Paul
- In a new series of web videos, Rand Paul is promoting his “Cut Their Card” campaign to encourage voters to call on Congress to stop federal overspending. (ABC News)
- After Hillary Clinton sent her book, Hard Choices, to her Republican competitors, Paul signed his copy and placed it for auction on eBay. He wrote the following message inside, “Hillary, Your refusal to provide security for our mission in Benghazi should forever preclude you from higher office.” As of Friday morning, the auction was up to $9,100. (Rand Paul for President)
- Paul reiterated his support for congressional term limits on Thursday. "Right now, we have term limits for chairmanship positions in the House and Senate and I don't think it would be a bad idea to have term limits for all federal lawmakers,” Paul said. (Washington Examiner)
- Politico reported on Friday that Paul “is under increasing pressure” to end his presidential bid and focus on retaining his Senate seat. One Republican strategist said, "This presidential dream needs to come to an end. Senate Republicans can’t afford to have a competitive race in Kentucky." (Politico)
Marco Rubio
- Marco Rubio’s campaign raised approximately $6 million in the third quarter, according to The New York Times. The campaign’s fundraising goal for the fourth quarter is $15 million. (The New York Times)
- Rubio has dismissed criticism of his record of missed votes in the Senate this year, saying, “Guys, I’m running for president. When I miss votes, it’s not because I’m on a vacation.” The Washington Post noted on Thursday, however, that nearly a third of Rubio’s missed votes came before he announced his presidential bid. (The Washington Post)
Rick Santorum
- Rick Santorum said this week that gun violence can be attributed to the “breakdown of morals and culture in America.” He continued, “The president’s not going to talk about that. He’s going to blame some inanimate object…and I think most Americans know that’s a bunch of baloney.” (Radio Iowa)
Donald Trump
- Donald Trump connected U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)’s departure from the House speaker race to comments he made about leadership. "You know, Kevin McCarthy is out. You know that, right? And they're giving me a lot of credit for that because I said you really need somebody very, very tough and very smart. ... We need smart, we need tough, we need the whole package,” Trump said during a rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Thursday. He also said that Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl was a “no-good traitor” who “should have been executed.” (ABC News)
See also
- Presidential election, 2016
- Presidential candidates, 2016
- Presidential debates (2015-2016)
- Important dates in the 2016 presidential race
- Polls and Straw polls
- 2016 presidential candidate ratings and scorecards